January-February-March 2010 Newsletter

An Estate Planning Toolkit to Benefit You, Iraivan Temple & Other Worthy Causes

Estate Planning Toolkit
An elderly couple compose a will that assigns their assets to family and to their favorite charity, in their case the Iraivan Temple Endowment in Hawaii. They could also give to an orphanage, an ashram or dozens of other good causes

If your estate plan is out of date or nonexistent, the Hindu Heritage Endowment (HHE) wants to help. "We're happy to send our complimentary estate planning toolkit to anyone on request," says Shanmuganathaswami, Charitable Funds Manager for HHE. Phil Murphy, Estate Planning Advisor for HHE, adds, "We want supporters and their families to avoid the unnecessary legal fees, taxes, family dissension and delay that result from dying intestate (without a will). It can be costly to your family and leaves you no say over who gets your assets."

Though it is not a substitute for legal advice, the kit does prepare people to meet with an attorney, he said. "It also addresses important nonlegal questions regarding final ceremonies, obituary preparation and the whereabouts of legal documents, such as insurance policies and wills." When asked who should order the toolkit, he offered, "Anyone who reads this article. Facing our mortality is a subject we usually avoid. Our estate planning toolkit can help anyone come up with a plan they are happy with."

There are more than legal issues at stake, Phil adds. "The Hindu faith is family centered. Uncertainty about the disposition of a parent's assets can create severe tension among children while parents are alive and conflict among them if parents die with no plan or a flawed plan." He cites four common estate-planning errors and shortcomings:

1. Having no written will, living trust, or plan to avoid conservatorship.

2. Vagueness regarding the distribution of personal property, such as art, books, jewelry and furnishings, that may have both sentimental and monetary value.

3. Conflicting instructions, especially in second marriages, where a parent wants property to pass to a child but holds it in joint tenancy with a spouse.

4. Outdated or incorrect beneficiary designations on financial and brokerage accounts.

Phil also encourages supporters to get instant estate planning information from the planned giving section of HHE's website. "Visitors can review the basics of wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney and health-care wishes." The website also provides a glossary of commonly used planned giving and estate planning terms. "Good causes like HHE benefit when their supporters have estate plans," Phil observes. "For example, only six percent of US citizens leave cash gifts to charity at death. That's probably because so many have no written plans."

To learn more about setting up your own estate and life income plan to provide immediate tax and income benefits to you and your family, while also providing a future gift to the temple or another HHE cause, please visit www.hheonline.org.

Go here to download a complementary estate planning toolkit.

July to September 2009 Endowment Contributions

Kauai Aadheenam Monastic Endowment
Gunasekaran Kandasamy US$166.25
Diksha Katir 44.95
Ripla & Gaurav Malhotra 125.00
Roy Oshita 500.00
K. Lakshmi Kantha Reddy 35.00
Darma & Shivali Satgunasingam 75.00
Niraj Thaker 76.50
Other Donations 47,326.52
Total 48,349.22
Iraivan Temple Endowment
Roger & Rosemary Brown 200.00
Donald Buente 50.00
Nalini Ganapati 50.50
C. Govind 305.28
Victoria Lynne Johnson 51.00
Latha Kannan 153.00
Diksha Katir 129.70
Murali Krishnaswamy 250.00
Madhurendu & Sharda Kumar 101.00
Silvarajoo Muniandy 89.80
Niranjan Sankaranarayanan 100.00
Lucy Soutter 10.00
Niraj Thaker 76.50
Anonymous 126.00
Other Donations 53,604.36
Total 55,297.14
Kauai Aadheenam Annual Archana Fund
Hemakheshaa Naatha Batumallah 8.00
Mekaladeva Batumallah 8.00
Ariadasy Canagasaby 6.68
Dayananda Canagasaby 6.68
Gayavatee Canagasaby 6.68
Giradevi Canagasaby 6.68
Gunavadee Caremben 7.61
Somasundaram Caremben 10.15
Sukanta Caremben 7.61
Sharath Chigurupati 369.00
Victoria Lynne Johnson 17.00
Saroja Devi Manickam 5.00
Subramaniam Pennathur 49.98
Kirtideva Peruman 20.05
Akileiswaran Samuthiran 30.78
Egambrum Sinsamy 9.89
Devaladevi Sivaceyon 11.21
Patudeva Sivaceyon 11.21
Hemavalli Sivalingam 2.56
Potriyan Sivanathan 8.42
Javanya Skanda 9.00
Total 612.19
Hinduism Today Lifetime Subscription Fund
Yatrika Ajaya 74.05
Arvind Chandrakantan 800.00
Maria S. Dara 160.00
Prabin Gautam 240.00
Meena Kakarala 800.00
Bharati Patil 160.00
Niroshnee Peruman 25.06
Apputhury Praisoody 80.00
Lakshimi Puvanendran 1,001.00
Amooda Kothan 89.84
Jayasutha Samuthiran 16.08
Anupkumar Shetty 160.00
Nutanaya Sivaceyon 14.03
Uma Sivanathan 156.00
Girish Skanda 112.00
Siven Veerasamy 9.89
Sharad Wagle 160.00
Gary & Radica Asha Yee-Fong 800.00
Total 4,857.95
Hindu Businessmenís Association Trust
Paramaseeven Canagasaby 6.59
Vel Mahalingum 20.12
Manogaran Mardemootoo 33.39
Total 60.10
Boys School for Iraivan Priesthood
David Bohn 10.00
Bala Sivaceyon 36.72
Total 46.72
Kauai Aadheenam Matavasi Medical Fund
Shyamadeva Dandapani 63.00
Nalini Ganapati 50.50
Gowri Nadason 151.20
Vayudeva Varadan 72.00
Other Donations 4,800.00
Total 5,136.70
Kumbhalavalai Ganesha Temple Endowment
Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00
Malaysia Hindu Renaissance Fund
Murali Balaji 1.14
Hinduism Today Production Fund
Hiranya Gowda 93.00
Satish Balaji Kalavagunta 100.00
Alok R. Lathi 1,001.00
Subramaniam Pennathur 50.01
Vishal Sharma 200.00
Total 1,444.01
Hindu Orphanage Endowment Fund
Murali Balaji 1.14
Charles Hayse 1,000.00
Gunasekaran Kandasamy 166.25
Natraj Narayanswami 21.00
Alex Ruberto 100.00
Lucy Soutter 10.00
Rodney & Ilene Standen 30.00
Himanshu Vyas 54.00
Total 1,382.39
Hindu Education Endowment
Murali Balaji 1.14
Hindu Press International Endowment Fund
Hiranya Gowda 63.00
Himanshu Vyas 54.00
Total 117.00
Loving Ganesha Distribution Fund
Tina Desai 36.00
Diksha Katir 89.80
Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00
Gassa Patten 1,350.00
Total 1,550.80
Saiva Agamas Trust
Praful & Ranjan Patel 101.00
Ganga Sivanathan 210.00
Total 311.00
Positive Discipline Endowment
Vinaya Alahan 50.00
Tirumular Sannidhi Preservation Fund
Shyamadeva Dandapani 63.00
Kauai Aadheenam Religious Art and Artifacts Fund
Rajadeva Alahan 153.00
Murali Balaji 1.14
Total 154.14
A. Saravanapavan Family Murugan Temple Pillaiyar Shrine Fund
Pathmini Saravanapavan 200.00
Thank You Bodhinatha Fund
Hotranatha Ajaya 33.00
Anonymous 4,500.00
Anonymous 240.00
Shyamadeva Dandapani 101.00
Tina Desai 108.00
Chellappa Deva 25.00
Amarnath & Latha Devarmanai 324.00
David Dillard-Wright 40.00
Panshula Ganeshan 50.00
Sundaramahesan & Kala Jeyakumar 50.00
Diksha Katir 89.85
Ripla & Gaurav Malhotra 125.00
Dayavati Murugan 108.00
Kumar Natarajan 100.00
Manoharan Navaratnarajah 150.00
Mrunal Patel 1,001.00
Shanta Devi Periasamy 874.57
Brett Phillips 10.00
Anonymous 154.00
Anonymous 501.00
Alex Ruberto 60.00
Aran Sambandar 36.00
Nigel Subramaniam Siva 1,000.00
Kannan Srikanth 2,628.16
Vayudeva Varadan 84.00
Total 12,392.58
Udayan Care Endowment Fund
Devdatta Mhaiskar 25.00
Saivite Hindu Scriptural Fund for the Visually Impaired
Alex Ruberto 70.00
Sri Chandra Madhab Debnath Endowment
Shyamal Chandra Debnath 50.00
Murugan Temple Yalpanam Festival Fund
Pathmini Saravanapavan 108.00
Puri Monasteries Fund
Bharati Patil 5.00
Manitha Neyam Trust Fund
Bala Sivaceyon 44.86
Kapaleeshwara Temple Orphanage
Murali Krishnaswamy 250.00
Chiranjevi Raparla 80.00
Michael Zimmermann 5.00
Total 335.00
Pazhassi Balamandiram Orphanage Fund
Chiranjevi Raparla 40.00
Hindu Literature Fund
Murali Balaji 1.13
Hinduism Today Complimentary Subscription Fund
Hiranya Gowda 153.00
Rajagopal Krishnan 60.00
Devdatta Mhaiskar 25.00
Michael Zimmermann 5.00
Total 243.00
Himalayan Academy Book Distribution Fund
Shyamadeva Dandapani 63.00
Kauai Aadheenam Yagam Fund
Victoria Lynne Johnson 17.00
Yogaswami Hindu Girlsí Home of Sittandy Endowment
Vinaya Alahan 55.00
Jeri Arin 500.00
Murali Balaji 1.13
Marlene Carter 162.00
Anonymous 763.20
Tina Desai 300.00
Marion Karimjooy Borhani 200.00
Joel Knepp 150.30
Murali Krishnaswamy 75.00
Devdatta Mhaiskar 6.00
Natraj Narayanswami 12.50
Patrick Parr 50.00
Subramaniam Pennathur 80.01
Anonymous 45.00
Ananthakumar Renganathan 30.00
Puvaneswary Roberts 90.00
Ganga Sivanathan 150.00
Anonymous 45.00
Soma Sundaram 30.00
Niraj Thaker 107.00
Total 2,852.14
Siva Poomi School Trust
Murali Balaji 1.13
Yogaswami Hindu Boysí Home Fund
Vinaya Alahan 50.00
Murali Balaji 1.13
Kugendra Canaganayagam 60.00
Anonymous 612.00
Murali Krishnaswamy 75.00
Natraj Narayanswami 12.50
Patrick Parr 50.00
Ananthakumar Renganathan 100.00
Total 960.63
India Hindu Tribals Endowment
Murali Balaji 1.14
Niraj Thaker 15.00
Total 16.14
Murugan Temple of North America Puja Fund
Vayudeva Varadan 72.00
Saivite Tamil Foundation Endowment
Suresh Jambunathan 75.00
Rani Jothiswarar Memorial Fund
Thiruchelvi Arumugam 10.00
K. Balaraman Family 39.93
Shamala Jeganathan 10.00
Kodisvara Jothiswarar 50.00
Selvanathan Jothiswarar 20.00
Siva Jothiswary 50.00
Pusparani 20.00
Total 199.93
Ramanathaswamy Temple Cleaning Fund
Vinaya Alahan 50.00
Danyse Crotti 100.00
Hiranya Gowda 99.00
Manogaran Mardemootoo 133.56
Anonymous 153.00
Ganga Sivanathan 300.00
Lucy Soutter 40.00
Kannan Srikanth 500.50
Niraj Thaker 33.00
Total 1,409.06
Hindu American Foundation Endowment
Murali Balaji 1.14
Subramaniam Pennathur 101.00
Niraj Thaker 33.00
Michael Zimmermann 5.00
Total 140.14
The Endowment for Global Hindu Rights
Murali Balaji 1.14
K.K. Parekh 15.00
Total 16.14
Cows of Kadavul and Iraivan Temples (Kovil Maadu) Endowment
Anonymous 175.00
Insurance Premium Donations
Mrunal Patel 3,003.00
Kauai Aadheenam Renovation Endowment
Other Donations 600.00
Total Contributions $142,624.52
Funds at Market Value, September 30, 2009
Total Endowment Funds $7,878,422.53
Total Pooled Income Funds $196,577.47
Grand Total US$8,075,000.00

MISSION STATEMENT

Hindu Heritage Endowment is a publicly supported, charitable organization recognized as tax exempt by the IRS on April 22, 1994. Employer ID 99-0308924. Founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, its philanthropic mission is to provide secure, professionally managed financial support for institutions and religious leaders of all lineages of Sanatana Dharma.

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS

Halbert/Hargrove, Investment Counsel; Sonoda & Isara, LLP, CPA. HHE is a member of the Council on Foundations, an association of more than 2,000 foundations which interprets relevant law and management and investment principles, and of the National Committee on Planned Giving, the voice and professional resource for the gift planning community.

I want to participate. Where should I Send My Donation?

You may send your gift to an existing fund, create a new Endowment or request information through the address below.

Donations may be made online at www.hheonline.org or use the HHE tear-out card in the HINDUISM TODAY magazine to join our family of benefactors who are Strengthening Hinduism Worldwide. Thank you.

 
Ladies Home

Cows of Kadavul and Iraivan Temples (Kovil Maadu) Endowment

Provides for the care, feeding and medical needs of the cows

Concord Temple

Concord Shiva Murugan Temple (CSMT) Endowment Fund

Provides funds for the improvement of this California temple

Bharatiya Ekta Mandir

Bharatiya Ekta Mandir of Arizona Endowment

Provides funds for the maintenance and improvement of this Arizona temple

Bharathi Ashram

The Bharathi Yoga Dhama Fund

Provide funds for the maintenance of the Bharati Yoga Dhama in Mysore, India

Kautiliya Fund

The Antyodoy Anath Ashram Orphanage Endowment

Provides funds for the care of children in this India orphanage

Planned Giving Guidance

Three Types of Fund Raising: Annual, Major & Planned

Use Giving Assistant to save money and support Hindu Heritage Endowment